Paper fastener



Feb. 5, 1935. SCHADE 1,989,888

PAPER FASTENER Filed 0012. 5, 1933 BY @fm TTORNEYS Cil Patented Feb. 5, 1935 UNITED STATI-:s

PAPER FASTENEB John Schade, Holyoke, Mass., assigner to N tional Blank Book Company, Holyoke, Mass.,- a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 5, 1933, Serial No. 692,258

9 Claims. (Cl. 2li-153) 'I'his invention relates to paper fasteners of the type in which the paper stack is held upon two spaced prongs bent over and gripped by a keeper.

-The object of the invention is to improve upon the forms of fastener previously used, to reduce the cost of the keeper, and to increase the simplicity and effectiveness of the device generally.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of keeper plate with one end attached;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing an intermediate stage in the application of the second end;

Fig. 3 is a section von line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the keeper completely attached;

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the keeper;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of keeper withone end attached;

Fig. 7 is a similar View showing the keeper completely attached;

Fig. 8 is a median section through the structure shown in Fig. 7, taken on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a plan View of another modified form of fastener, showing the keeper before application to the bent over prongs;

Fig. 11 is a top view of the keeper shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a bottom view thereof; and

Fig 13 is a central sectional'view showing the keeper completely attached.

Referring first to the form shown in Figs. 1 t 5 inclusive, prongs 15 of an ordinary type are shown as passing through holes 16 in a paper stack 17. 'I'he keeper has a top piece 18, bent down throughout one side as at 19, and partially at the other side as shown at 20. The side 19 has an extension 21 turned under and substantially parallel to the top 18 and extending nearly throughout the length of the keeper. A box-like structure is thus obtained, having a gap 22 in its bottom at one end, a wider gap 23 in its bottom near the other end, and a gap 24 in one side limited` by the wall 20 and a shorter wall 25 on the same side. The ends of the box are closed by downturned portions 26 and 27 of the top 18.

In using this form of the invention the end of the keeper having the short gap 22 is slid endwise over one of the prongs 15. When the keeper is fully placed on the upright prong, with the latter received within the box-like keeper structure, the keeper can be bent down towards the plane of the paper, causing the prong to be folded over squarely and tightly where it emerges from the hole in the stack. The keeper is then drawn slightly away from the bend in the prong, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that the short wall 25 will clear the second prong when the keeper is swung from the sideways inclined position of Fig. 2 to one in alignment with the prongs. During 5 this swinging movement the bottom piece 21,

.which is already under the rst prong, is brought under the second one. A short endwise motion of the keeper will iinally bring the walls 19 and 25 in straddling relation to the second prong and will lock the keeper firmly in place. To Iremove the keeper this sequence of operations is reversed.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 to 9 the left-hand end of the keeper is constructed generally in the same way as the right-hand end of the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5, but the other end has a different construction. Y The body 30 of the keeper is bent down at its sides as at 31 to make a channel-shaped cover for the folded downl prongs 32, and near one end these portions are bent under as'at 33 to make a prong receiving box. The ends of the keeper body are folded down as at 34 and 35. A gap 36 is left between the end 34 and the portions 33 to permit the passage of one of the prongs, as was the case with the gap 22. A locking piece 37 is pivoted to the keeper body at 38; a convenient form of pivot being made by striking up a iiange surrounding a hole. in the piece 37, passing this through a hole in the keeper, and then heading the ange over as clearly shown in Fig. 8. At one side the piece 37 is bent down to form a stop flange 39, which has an integral extension 40 adapted to pass through holes 41 in the sides 31 and :to underlie the adjacent prong 32.

In using this form of keeper one of the prongs is passed through the gap 36 into the box-like interior of the keeper, and the keeper is then used as J, handle to bend the prong towards the plane of the paper. 'Ihis motion will bring the second end lof the keeper, which is channelshaped in section, over the second prong. The locking piece 37'is then swung from the inactive position of Fig. 6 to the locking position of Fig. 7, whereby the keeper is rmly secured in position. It will be seen that in this form, as in the previous one, the keeper covers all of the bent over portions of the prongs, so that anl exceptionally neat appearance is presented. The prongs are guarded on all sides, and by preference the one initially inserted is enclosed in a box-like portion of the keeper to facilitate its easy retention.

'Ihe final modification to be described employs 55 a somewhat simpler keeper, but requires a special type of stack holding prong. One prong 50 may be standard, but the second one 51 is provided with a succession of oppositely positioned notches 52. The keeper in this case has a back piece 53, the sides of whichY are turned downwardly at 54 and then inwardly at 55 a distance suillcient to form lips substantially equal in their width to the depth of the notches 52. These turned down sideslpreferablydo not extend to the ends of the keeper, leaving portions 56 and 57 of the back piece exposed when the keeper is viewed from the bottom. The end adjacent the portion 56 may be left plain, but the other end preferably has a reverse bend as at 58, the upper part of which forms a finger grip and the lower part acts as a stop by contacting with the. bent over part of the prong (Fig. 13).

This third form of keeper is applied by sliding it in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 10, flrst over the notched prong and then over the plain one. The opposite notches at the bend of the prong permit the passage of the inturned lips 55 so that the keeper can be pushed on from-the side without diillculty. As the keeper is pushed still further inthe direction of the arrow the folded over end of the second prong enters the box-like structure defined by the folded walls of the keeper, until the stop 58 strikes the flrst prong, as indicated in Fig. 13. In this case, as in the other two described, the prongs are completely covered by the keeper and are held by it both on the top and Sides so that they cannot become displaced.

I claim:

-1. In a paper fastener of the type employing two spaced prongs passing through and folded down upon a paper stack, a keeper having a top plate substantially covering thel folded down portions of the prongs, a portion of said keeper spaced from one end thereof being folded down and under to form a box structure adapted to receive one of the prongs through the gap formed vby the space at one end, and means for securing the other end of the keeper to the second prong.

2. In a paper fastener of the type employing two spaced prongs passing through and folded down upon a paper stack, a keeper having a top plate substantially covering the folded down portions of the prongs, a portion of said'plate spaced from one end being folded down and under to form a box structure adapted to receive one of the prongs through the gap formed by the space at. said end, the keeper having prong engaging portions thereon for receiving and holding the second prong, and a bent down projection at one end of the keeper to engage the bend of one of the folded over prongs to limit the sliding movement of the keeper. Y

3. In a paper fastener of the type employing two spaced prongs passing through and folded down upon a paper stack, a keeper having a top plate substantially covering the folded down portions of the prongs, said top plate being folded down and under to form a box structure, the folded down portion being spaced from the end of the top plate so as to provide at each end a prong admitting gap on the bottom of the box structure, one side of the box structure being open adjacent one of said gaps and for a sufficient distance along one side of the keeper to permit the prong to pass into the' box structure from the side.

4. In a paper fastener of the type employing two spaced prongs passing through and folded down upon a paper stack, a keeper having a top plate substantially covering the folded down portions of the prongs, said top plate being folded down and under to form a box structure, the folded down portion being spaced from the end of the top plate so as to provide at each end a prong admitting gap on the bottom of the box structure, one side of the box structure bein'g open adjacent one of said gaps and for a sufficient distance along one side of the keeper to permit the prong to pass intothe box structure from the side, and a wall formed at the end of said open side whereby the keeper can be applied to said prong by' a sideways movement only when the keeper is shifted endwise enough for said wall to clear the prong, and whereby the keeper may be locked in place by an endwise movement serving to bring the said wall adjacent the side of the prong.

5. In a paper fastener of the type employing two spaced prongs passing through and folded down upon a paper stack, a keeper substantially covering the folded down portions of the prongs and itself having folded down portions defining a box structure with a relatively narrow bottom slot at one end to receive a prong end on,a wider bottom slot and a side slot at the other end to receive a prong from the side, and a side Wall portion engaging the side of the latter prong by a sliding movement of the keeper to prevent accidental removal thereof.

- 6. In a paper fastener of the type employing two spaced prongs passing through and folded own upon a paper stack, a keeper plate substanially covering the folded down portions of the prongs, said keeper being formed at one end Vas a box structure having a bottom end groove to receive a prong end on, and at the other end with a downwardly opening channel adapted to receive a prong, and a prong retaining member pivoted to the keeper and passing under the last named prong to retain it in the channel.

7. In a paper fastener of the type employing two spaced prongs passing through and folded down upon a paper stack, a keeper plate substantially covering the folded down portions of the prongs, said keeper being formed at one end to receive and engage a prong end on and at the other end with a downwardly opening chan-A nel adapted to receive a prong, said channel portion being provided with a slot in at least one side, and a prong retaining member pivotally mounted upon the top of the keeper and having a depending lug adapted to enter said slot and underlie said second named prong.

8. A paper fastener having two spaced prongs passing through a paper stack, at least one of said prongs having a plurality of oppositely located notches, and a keeper formed asa downwardly opening channel with inwardly projecting lips adapted to pass through the notches at the bend of one prong and to underlie the other prong.

9. A paper fastener having two spaced prongs passing through a paper stack, at least one of said prongs having a plurality of oppositely' located notches, and a keeper formed as a downwardly opening channel with inwardly projecting lips adapted to pass through the notches at the bend of one prong and to underlie the other prong and having a downturned portion at one end adapted to engage the body of the first named prong and limit the sliding movement of the keeper.

JOHN SCHADE. 

